2024 NEPSAC Winter News Magazine

NEPSAC News ®

NEW ENGLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL ATHLETIC COUNCIL

WINTER 2024

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NEPSAC News ®

NEPSAC®

In this issue:

New England Preparatory School Athletic Council President Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School Vice-President Tim Joncas Westminster School Secretary Lisa Joel Phillips Andover Academy Treasurer Jim Smucker Berwick Academy Co-Directors of Championships Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School Bob Howe Deerfield Academy Lisa Joel Phillips Andover Academy Director of Classifications Sean Kelly The Wheeler School Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lamar Reddicks Milton Academy Past Presidents George Tahan Belmont Hill School Bob Howe Deerfield Academy Jamie Arsenault New Hampton School Mark Conroy Williston Northampton School Martha Brousseau Greenwich Academy Middle School Representatives Rob Feingold The Fay School Amber Kuntz Beaver Country Day School District I Representative Stefan Jensen Hyde School District II Representatives Tara Brisson Tilton School Jenna Simon Holderness School Connor Wells Brewster Academy District III Representatives Betsy Kennedy Pingree School Jen Viana Cushing Academy Sean Kelly The Wheeler School Andrew Mitchell Lexington Christian Academy District IV Representatives Mike Marich The Frederick Gunn School Mo Gaitán Pomfret School Communications Specialist Laurie Sachs The Rivers School “NEPSAC” and the NEPSAC logo are registered trademarks of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council and may not be used or displayed without permission.

New England Preparatory School Athletic Council qualifies as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).

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Five Questions for Ryan Frost

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2023 NEPSAC Awards

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12

16

29

31

34

37

39

41

Tommy Reed: ”It’s All About Team”

Gabas Muldunas: Chasing Dreams Around the World Aly Abou Eleinen: A Career in Squash

Will Moriarty: From Field to

Film

Strength and Character

New Hampton’s Sideline Superstar

Good as Gold: Women’s U-18 National Hockey Team Wins Gold Lily Lyons Competes at Foot Locker Nationals

Do You Know How to Set Goals that Really Matter?

Departments 4 Around NEPSAC

10 Laurels

42 #ICYMI

ON THE COVER: Outgoing NEPSAC president Martha Brousseau (Greenwich Academy) welcomes incoming president Ryan Frost (Cardigan Mountain School)

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 3

AROUND NEPSAC

President’s Letter Ryan Frost Cardigan Mountain School

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appy January, and welcome to the second half of the school year and winter season! I hope this magazine and note finds you and your communities having had a wonderful holiday season full of rest and relaxation during the school breaks and that your 2024 is off to a great start. This midpoint in the academic year is a wonderful time to reflect, evaluate the year, and look to areas of growth, improvement, and reset for the second half of the year.

As I take over my new leadership role in NEPSAC, I would like to take a moment to thank Martha Brousseau for her incredible leadership these past two years. Martha took over from George Tahan, who led us through the turbulent times of COVID and worked hard to lead reform and change in the ever-changing landscape of educational athletics, particularly at such a large and diverse group of independent schools. I hope to do the same with the help and support of our great NEPSAC leaders Tim Joncas (Vice President), Lisa Joel (Secretary), Laurie Sachs (Communications), Jim Smucker (Treasurer), and the rest of the NEPSAC Board. As a reminder, we serve you as volunteers to help guide, support, and improve NEPSAC for all, now and in the future. Please feel free to reach out anytime if I or anyone on the board can help or support you and your school.

I hope you enjoy and share with your school community the content of our most recent issue of NEPSAC News. Please continue to share any ideas for articles or news you may have related to NEPSAC coming out of your community.

TREASURER’S REPORT

by Jim Smucker, Berwick Academy, NEPSAC Treasurer Thank you for your support this year.

REMINDERS/TIPS

To be most efficient it is important that schools only create one account when making their payments. If you don’t remember your login information, simply click on the “Forgot your username or password?” link to enter your email address to receive instructions to reset your password. Remember to check your spam/junk folder for these instruction emails.

Please be aware that there is a processing fee to off-set our cost with every online transaction. We are not able to refund processing fees, so please be diligent about this process and your record keeping.

How To View Your Account: If you already have a Username and Password, go to ‘View My Account’ and enter your credentials to log in. After logging in, you will have access to ‘Payment History”.

Use the available filters to view ALL of them or choose any date range or period.

NEPSAC PARTNERSHIPS

NEPSAC continues to identify potential partnerships and sponsors to help ensure that the intentions of this organization are met, all while staying true to our mission and values. We will update the membership as new partnerships and sponsorships are secured.

Got news to share with other NEPSAC schools? Send the details to communications@nepsac.org and we’ll put it in the next issue.

All the best, Ryan Frost Please remember the following resources are behind the password at www.nepsac.org to serve you better and streamline communication within NEPSAC: » NEPSAC By-Law and Policy Handbook

2023-2024 NEPSAC By-Law and Policy Handbook

» NEPSAC NIL Registration » NEPSAC Grievance Form » NEPSAC Expulsion Documentation Form » NEPSAC NIL Policy and Registration Form

Last edited: 9/8/2023

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AROUND NEPSAC

NEPSAC Fall 2023 Tournament Champions

NEPSAC 2023–2024 MEETINGS

Be sure to hit the links under each sport to see the All-NEPSAC athletes

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Tuesday, September 19 Remote 8:15 Tuesday, October 10 Remote 8:15 Thursday, November 16 Boxborough, MA

4:00

Friday, November 17 Annual Meeting, Boxborough, MA Tuesday, January 9 Remote 8:15 Tuesday, February 13 Remote 8:15 Tuesday, April 30 Cushing Academy

10:00

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Thursday, March 29 Fay School

10:00

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Division 1 Phillips Exeter Academy Division 2 Roxbury Latin School Division 3 St. Sebastian’s School Division 4 Kents Hill School

All-NEPSAC List GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Division 1 Phillips Exeter Academy Division 2 Middlesex School Division 3 Montrose School Division 4 Hoosac School

All-NEPSAC List GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY Class A Taft School Class B Middlesex School Class C Pingree School

All-NEPSAC List

DISTRICT I

All meetings at Hyde School Monday, September 11

10:00

Monday, November 13

10:00

Monday, February 26

10:00

Monday, May 20

10:00

Zoom meetings may be held if needed in October, January and April

DISTRICT II

Thursday, October 19 Holderness School

9:00

Thursday, February 8 Tilton School

9:00

Thursday, May 2 New Hampton School

9:00

Weekly meetings on Zoom from August 15, 2023 to May 7, 2024.

DISTRICT III

Tuesday, October 3 Zoom 10:00

FOOTBALL

Drew Gamere Bowl Cheshire Academy Danny Smith Bowl Deerfield Academy Bob Souza Bowl The Rivers School Kevin MacDonald Bowl Lawrence Academy John Mackey Bowl Canterbury School

NEPSAC All Time Champions List

Joe Lang Bowl Hamden Hall Country Day School John Papas Bowl Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Leon Modeste Bowl Choate Rosemary Hall

All-NEPSAC List BOYS SOCCER

Class A Milton Academy Class B Kimball Union Academy Class C Vermont Academy Class D Wooster School

All-NEPSAC List GIRLS SOCCER

Class A Westminster School Class B Pingree School Class C Greens Farms Academy Class D Hamden Hall Country Day School

All-NEPSAC List GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Class A Loomis Chaffee School Class B King School Class C Canterbury School Class D Christian Heritage School

All-NEPSAC List

BOYS WATER POLO Brunswick School

All-NEPSAC List

NEPSAC ONLINE DIRECTORY

Please continue to update your school information in the online directory with any changes that you might have. It is extremely important that we have accurate contact lists of our athletic departments for a variety of communications. The online system allows for the most efficient way to collect information. Examples of use: Our coaches associations, athletic trainers, schedulers, sports information directors, and equipment managers all need accurate email lists for their important communications.

Contact Laurie Sachs communications@nepsac.org if you have any questions.

Tuesday, January 23 TBD 11:00 Tuesday, April 30 Zoom 10:00

DISTRICT IV

Tuesday, September 26 Choate Rosemary Hall

10:00

Thursday, April 2 TBA 6:00

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 5

AROUND NEPSAC

Scenes from the NEPSAC 2023 Annual Meeting

Keynote speaker Dr. Scott Grant is an expert on Name, Image and Likeness at the high school level

SMAC speaker Arabella Pérez addressed trauma informed care and resiliency

Small group discussion during the DEI Roundtable, led by Lamar Reddicks (Milton Academy)

NEPSAC swag, coffee and networking

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George Tahan (Belmont Hill School), Betsy Kennedy (Pingree School), Jen Viana (Cushing Academy) and Mark Conroy (Williston Northampton School) led the Policies and Procedures Case Studies session

Martha Brousseau (Greenwich Academy) and Lisa Joel (Phillips Andover Academy)

No one went hungry

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AROUND NEPSAC

GoPlay Sports Tours

Scoreboard Enterprises

Rocket Alumni Solutions and Gronk Fitness

BSN

MHEC purchasing consortium

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 7

KING SCHOOL | STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

Zach Munno ’24 Receives the 2023 USGAAJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award

by Keelin Daly, Marketing and Communications Specialist, King School

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Photo by Mike Lasky

olf team co-captain Zach Munno ’24 channels his success on the course to benefit communities off the course, earning him national recognition. Shortly after being named one of Moffly Media’s Teens to Watch, he shot a two under on the par 70 course at Bethpage in Farmingdale, New York on October 1, and captured the 2023 Northeast Junior Classic, beating out 92 competitors.

He also recently earned the attention of the United States Golf Association and the American Junior Golf Association (USGA-AJGA), which named him as one of the winners of its prestigious 2023 Presidents’ Leadership Award.

Each year, two junior golfers earn the recognition for demonstrating leadership, character, and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program — a joint

BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | SHEFFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

AT Marc Wysocki Receives EATA Award

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ongratulations to the EATA Francis J. George Scholarship Award recipient, Marc P. Wysocki MS, LAT, ATC, EMT-B, CES, GT Specialist! Marc is pursuing his Doctoral of Athletic Training with Moravian University. He has been an active and accomplished member of the athletic training community since the mid-1990s. In addition to his athletic training career, Marc is a Captain with the Sheffield Volunteer Fire Department. Congratulations, Marc! The Francis J. George Scholarship Award is designed to honor the work and service to the profession Frank demonstrated throughout his career.

Read more about the scholarship here: https://www.goeata.org/frank-george-doctoral-scholarship #EATA

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initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA in 2005 to further develop junior golfers through volunteerism.

“Golf has taught me many important life lessons,” Zach said. “One of which is the importance of community and giving back to it. The sport has a long legacy of raising money and giving back to the community.”

In 2020, Zach utilized the AJGA platform to create the Metro Cup. He has since raised $240,000 for The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, The Bridge Foundation, Metropolitan PGA Junior Foundation, and the AJGA’s Liberty National ACE Grant Program.

“Zachary is an extraordinary leader,” said USGA President Fred Perpall. “His dedication to the service of others inspires a bright future for the game of golf. He embodies the essence of this esteemed award, and we are honored to name him as one of this year’s recipients of the USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award.”

King School Varsity Golf Head Coach Mike Lasky is thrilled for Zach and the team.

“He doesn’t have to go out and dedicate his time, but it just comes naturally to him. It’s just the kind of kid that he is,” Lasky said. “He just wants to be a better kid every day, whether it’s in the community, in the classroom, or on the golf course. He’s doing a great job. He really really is.”

Lasky added that Zach brings humor and congeniality to the team, along with his leadership, commitment, and discipline on the greens. He and teammate Chase Perlman ’24 will captain the team in the spring in what is sure to be a successful season.

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Travel. Compete. Discover. www.goplay-sports.com www.nepsac.org

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 9

Five Questions for Ryan Frost

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yan Frost just began his two-year term as president of NEPSAC. He is the first middle school athletic director to serve on the Executive Council and also the first to serve as president. Ryan is the athletic director at Cardigan Mountain School, a boarding school for boys in grades six through nine, located in Canaan, New Hampshire. He earned a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and then went on to Springfield College where he added an M.S. in athletic administration and an M.Ed. to his list of degrees. He has been at Cardigan since 2007. We thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit more about him, so we posed five questions, and then went into overtime!

1

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE LIFE LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED?

I feel there are many life lessons I have learned over the years. The big one I learned in school is perseverance. Growing up with significant learning differences taught me to always put in the work and never give up. I vividly remember hours of studying spelling words for a quiz at the end of the week in elementary school. As a young boy who struggled with spelling and memorization, this work was often met with subpar success and accusations of lack of effort and work despite the hours spent. Throughout my educational career, I have always had to put in extra work and time to achieve the grades I desired and represent my abilities. Through this, I learned never to give up and to persevere through my parents’ examples, encouragement, and continued support and love.

Some of the other important life lessons I learned have come from athletics and coaches who taught me to maintain composure, be accountable to myself and my teammates, and always give my best effort every day toward striving to be my best. The idea of being my best each day and continuously improving came from my high school coach, who pushed us always to compete, never give up, and continue to improve. He held us to a high standard and expected the best out of us each time we stepped on the field or in anything we were doing. He would build us up and help us achieve more than we ever thought we could, or our individual talents could have allowed us to do alone.

Last, I learned a great deal about character, being a good person in the service of others, and always being prepared for what comes next from my time in scouting. It taught me honesty, compassion, respect for others, and leadership. Scouting gave me a code and set of guidelines to live my life by and pushed me to always help serve others. It also taught me to be prepared for whatever situation I encountered every day. I also owe much of what I learned about leadership to my time in scouting, which gave me daily opportunities to lead and learn from other great leaders around me.

2

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Again, I don’t think I could pick one, but three stand out. First, my high school coach once asked me what I would do to serve the greater good when discussing

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what I wanted to do with my career. He advised me that no matter what I would do later in life, I needed to think about how it served others and improved the world. This stuck with me and helped shape who I am and where I am today. The second one came with my college assistant coach. He came out and told me that I should be teaching and coaching, and using my leadership skills to do so.

He told me he would call me the first time he had a job opening for me, and he did, which led me to Springfield College and the path to being an athletic director. The last career advice I will touch on was from the last athletic director I worked for. Her advice when I was leaving to take on my first role as an athletic director was to ensure I smile as often as possible. This, for me, meant staying positive, being welcoming to others, and remembering we are getting to play, work with, and help shape kids’ lives, and that is one of the most incredible things in the world.

3

WHAT INSPIRED OR MOTIVATED YOU TO WORK IN ATHLETICS?

4

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOURSELF AS A YOUNG ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW?

For me, this would go back to high school and college sports. The coaches I had, working with my teammates, and competing every day to improve pushed me to want to provide these opportunities and instill these ideals in others. One of my early high school coaches asked our team to make sure we give back. Sports gave me many things, such as life lessons, educational opportunities, and lifelong friendships.

Despite working in my profession to give back as my coach asked us to, I still feel athletics is giving me more and more of these same great opportunities, lessons, and new friendships every year.

Looking back on what I have learned, I would remind myself to stay organized and set up systems to do so early and often. I would remind myself to document everything. Document the good, the bad, and the ugly for my records and reference at later times. With this, again, make sure there is an organized system to do so. I would encourage myself to find ways to disconnect, get away, and turn off my phone, email, and all things related to work and spend more time at home with my family. Last, I would encourage myself to start earlier in my career by thanking

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everyone I can. It is something that I have always done, but I have put a real focus on gratitude and taking time to express my thanks to others, as I could not do any of the things I do without them.

5

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT NEPSAC?

My favorite thing about NEPSAC is the camaraderie among the people involved, including athletic directors, teacher coaches, and students at our schools. It is the dedication to high standards on and off the field and in and out of the classroom that our schools aspire to and stand as an example to others. It is the fact that all of our schools are striving to help young people learn, grow, and find their best selves. This is what I hope continues to help bind 180 very different independent schools together under a common purpose.

Overtime WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO, WATCHING OR READING THAT YOU’D SUGGEST OTHERS CHECK OUT?

I hope everyone has seen Ted Lasso, but if not, it is a must-watch for anyone, especially anyone coaching or teaching. I would also recommend The Coach’s Playbook on Netflix. One of my favorite daily newsletters is the “The Daily Coach” email. It has lots of great information on coaching, teaching, and leadership. My favorite books include Extreme Ownership by Willink and Babin, Legacy by Kerr, Beyond Possible by Purja, Toughness by Bilas, and anything from McRaven. I would also highly recommend listening to the audio book with a podcast-style interview of Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, but beware of his colorful use of the English language.

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 11

PHOTO BY SHAWN HUBBARD; COURTESY OF WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON

WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL | EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS

“It’s All About Team”

A sense of service and a pocket Constitution — two things Navy pilot and White House military officer Tommy Reed ’10 carries with him from Williston

by Daniella Vollinger

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n the top compartment of a nondescript backpack sits Tommy Reed’s pocket Constitution — a prized memento from a history class with former History and Global Studies teacher Peter Gunn. “I took that with me on every deployment, always in my flight bag,” recalls Reed, a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot who most recently served as Coordinator of Military Transportation for the White House. “Every time we recite our oath to the Constitution, I think about the fact that I got it in that class.”

This past October, Reed wrapped up his service on the team that helps coordinate flights by Air Force One, the presidential jet, and Marine One, the helicopter often seen transporting the president from the White House lawn. The role capped a 10-year career in the Navy that had a profound impact on Reed’s life, and reinforced the values of service and teamwork that he says he developed at Williston. With his wife expecting their first child in February 2024, Reed is now looking ahead to his next chapter as a

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civilian — possibly working himself at an independent school — and looking back at his Navy accomplishments with a new perspective.

Prior to his work for the executive branch, Reed was one of a small number of Navy pilots who fly the MH-53E, known as the Big Iron, the military’s largest and most powerful helicopter. With a load capacity of 32,000 pounds, the Big Iron specializes in heavy lift operations, hauling cargo and up to several dozen people. “I have a complex relationship with that aircraft,” says Reed, who spent countless hours operating what he describes as a muscle car version of a helicopter. “When I was in helicopter training during flight school, I thought the ’53’ was awesome. I loved the idea of flying with a big crew in that big, old, greasy helicopter.”

The Navy uses the MH-53E, along with other assets, to find, detect, and eliminate sea mines. Built in the 1980s (and still using technology from that era), the MH-53E takes a massive amount of manpower to operate safely. Of the roughly 500 members of Reed’s

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“EVERY TIME WE RECITE OUR OATH TO THE

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ABOUT THE FACT THAT I GOT IT IN THAT CLASS.” squadron, fewer than 25 percent (the 30 pilots and some 60 crew members) actually fly in the aircraft. The remaining 75 percent work on the ground to ensure the helicopter is safe to operate.

“It’s an absolute team effort,” notes Reed, “and that’s one of the biggest things I’m proud of: I was part of that team, and we went out there and operated safely. We did what we could with an old helicopter that was built before I was born.”

The idea of serving a goal greater than oneself is deeply woven into Reed’s life history. It dates back to his four grandparents, all of whom are buried at Calverton National Cemetery, Long Island’s cemetery for military veterans and their families. Growing up Irish Catholic on Long Island, he frequently attended Sunday Mass, a tradition that continued at Williston, often alongside Athletic Director Mark Conroy and his family.

“It started at Williston,” says Reed, explaining how his experience playing hockey for Coach Derek Cunha instilled values of service and teamwork that were foundational to his growth at the Naval Academy. An example: One week into the hockey season, as a repeat sophomore and the youngest player on a Williston hockey team led by postgraduates, Reed was not getting much playing time. Taking his mother’s advice, he approached Cunha to let him know that he understood his role on the team, and that he was dedicated to earning his spot. “I was this awkward teenage kid,” says Reed, recalling the conversation with Cunha. “I told him, ‘I’m going to try hard; I know I’m not playing, and I understand because I’m young that I have to earn it.’ And Coach was like, ‘Yep, there you go.’”

Shortly after that conversation, Reed says, he had an experience that gave him his first sense of belonging to the Williston family. “We played a home game, and every time I got an opportunity, I shot the puck. I scored two goals that game. I remember the next day at school, teachers, students, and upperclassmen were all saying, ‘Way to go, Tommy!’ And instantly, I was like, ‘I love it here!’”

As a member of the Head’s Visiting Council and a Williston Northampton Fund co-chair, Reed has returned to Williston and found some of his favorite things unchanged: So many of his favorite faculty members are still here, a testament to the strength of the Williston community.

When Reed hangs up his flight bag and returns to civilian life next October, he’ll take with him his pocket Constitution and a sense of purpose and duty that Williston and the Navy have reinforced. “It’s all about the team, building you to be part of something bigger than yourself. Know your role, but also train someone else to take over your job and make it better than when you got there.”

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2023 NEPSAC Award Winners: Distinguished Records and Service

by Bob York

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t’s not often you find a headmaster immersing himself in the nomination process of the New England Prep School Athletic Conference’s most prestigious award: The Martin William Souders Memorial Award. Such endeavors normally fall under the jurisdiction of the school’s athletic director or its coaches. This year, that process started — and culminated — at the top.

This year’s procedure was clearly different. Perhaps it was the inscription on the award that finally hit home. It reads: “This award is in recognition of leadership, vision, dedication and the constant and valuable contributions made to Physical Education and Athletics among New England Independent Schools.”

Furthermore, it is presented annually to a graduate of a New England Independent School “who has made a distinguished record in sports and who has since made a distinguished record in life through high ideals, leadership and accomplishments.”

Perhaps it was the fact that after more than three decades, this story needed to be told and this seemed to be the perfect time to tell it.

Or, perhaps, having occupied the Oval Office of St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, MA for the past 34 years and staring at retirement in June, Headmaster Bill Burke decided he’d better use it or lose it as far as his NEPSAC voting status was concerned. And so, he finally opted to toss his hat in the ring for a nominee.

Turns out, Burke’s winning candidate in 2023 is the very same person he would have nominated three decades ago: Mike Grier.

“I was extremely shocked and deeply honored at he same time when I first received word of having won the Souders Award,” said Grier. “It’s a special award for kids who go to school like I did … at a New England prep school. It really means so much to me to be recognized in this manner.”

Grier, who graduated from St. Sebastian’s in 1993, received his award during NEPSAC’s Annual Meeting on November 17 in Boxborough, MA. The other highlight of the meeting was NEPSAC’s presentation of its Annual Distinguished Service Award. This award is given annually to an individual “who has contributed significantly to New England Independent School Athletics and Physical Education through their enthusiasm, dedication, leadership and vision.”

This year’s winner of that award is Dick Muther, who spent the past eight years serving as athletic director of St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. This year, Muther opted to return to the classroom where he is currently teaching in the mathematics department.

St. Sebastian’s Director of Athletics Jon Bartlett, who accepted the Martin William Souders Award for Mike Grier, and Dick Muther, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 15

Mike Grier

you used to see him around campus much more frequently when he had a little more free time … lately, not so much.”

Grier’s giving back to his alma mater included a five-year stretch during which he served as the Arrows assistant hockey to Sean McCann, who is the current leader of the pack. And it was a move, according to McCann, that proved to benefit everyone involved.

“I know Mike enjoyed the opportunity of working with the kids,” said McCann, “and I know the kids enjoyed working with him. He showed a real passion for the game. I remember him being soft spoken and being very careful with his words whenever explaining the game so his point would be understood.

“I just think it’s fantastic that when you have someone of the stature of a Mike Grier, who has played for your school and is willing to come home and help teach the school’s next generation of kids how to play the game,” added McCann. “It makes other kids want to come to St. Sebastian’s, too.”

Grier’s professional career began at the 1993 NHL Draft when he was selected 219th overall by the St. Louis Blues. He was primarily a checking forward who played in 1,060 NHL games over 14 seasons. During that span, which included stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks, he chalked up 383 points on 162 goals and 221 assists. He announced his retirement from the game in 2011.

On July 6, 2022, Grier took the next step down his Yellow Brick Road when the Sharks made him the first Black general manager in National Hockey League history. And in making the announcement, Jonathan Becher, the president of the franchise’s parent company, Sharks Sports and Entertainment, said Grier’s tenacity was one of the qualities that helped land him the job.

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“Mike was a sophomore here at St. Sebastian’s, when I took over as headmaster,” said Burke, “and from Day One, I quickly realized what an outstanding role model this young man was for our student athletes. Even as a sophomore, he commanded your respect. You couldn’t help but look up to him … you couldn’t help but admire him … you couldn’t help but want to be like him.”

Grier gave the world a sneak peek at what he was about to be bringing to the sport of hockey while at St. Sebastian’s as he helped the Arrows capture back-to-back Independent School League titles in 1992 and 1993. As for his knack of scoring, only his senior year (92-93) stats at St. Sebastian’s showed up on record but they were eye-popping at 43 points on 16 goals and 27 assists in 22 games.

“St. Sebastian’s played a big part of my life, both on and off the ice,” said Grier. “As a student there, I learned a lot about community … about helping one another … about being a good person … about having faith in yourself and trusting your instincts. … about doing what you love and enjoying it.”

Burke, as it turns out, proved to be so enamored by Grier’s traits that he wrote him a letter following his graduation on June 1, 1993. In it he said: “I write to thank you for all you have done to make my first three years at St. Sebastian’s so enjoyably rewarding.

You have thrown your heart and soul into the life of our community, inspiring more people than you will ever know.

“Your teachers and coaches join me in commending you for tremendous courage, determination and perseverance. An intelligent kid with a kind, sensitive, giving nature, you have invested and developed your considerable talents. As you know, you can work harder still. Commit yourself to hard work in the classroom at BU, get out there and make a real difference in this world that so desperately needs the kind of leadership you can provide.”

And that’s exactly what he did. Grier continued developing his considerable hockey skills at BU and while doing so, helped lead the Terriers to a National Championship in 1995 as well as backto-back Hockey East Championships. In just three seasons at BU, Grier chalked up 120 points off 59 goals and 61 assists in 114 games. His skills would later land him a first team berth on the Hockey East All-Star Team as well as a spot on the Division I ACHA All-American Team. He also won the Walter Brown Award in 1995 as the best U.S.-born collegiate player in New England.

It wasn’t just Grier’s leaving a prep school hockey legacy second to none in NEPSAC annals for his school to relish throughout the years that continues to bring a smile to Burke’s face whenever he thinks of Grier, however. There are the less glittery and glamorous things he’s done as well.

“Mike’s never forgotten his past … he’s never forgotten where he came from,” said Burke. “And that’s why he’s always giving back to the school and to the St. Sebastian’s community. In fact,

“There are precious few candidates who have the strength of character to lead not just in good times but in difficult ones,” Becher told Neal Boudette of the New York Times. “Mike has consistently demonstrated the ability to do just that.”

Grier said being the league’s first Black general manager means a lot to him. “It’s not something I take lightly,” he told Boudette. “I realize the responsibility that comes with the territory, but I’m up for it. If we do well, hopefully it will open some doors for someone to follow.”

Ironically, although Grier is the first Black GM in the NHL, he’s not the first GM in his family. His older brother, Chris, owns that title. The elder sibling has been the general manager of the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins since 2016. “His one tip to success to me: Just believe yourself and in the vision you have for the organization,” said Grier. “Often times there is a lot of outside chatter going on, but ignore it and stay true to your vision and to yourself and everything will turn out for the best.”

Grier’s father, Bobby, has dabbled in sports as well. In fact, diehard New England Patriots fans may remember him when he served as the team’s offensive backfield coach from 1981 through 1992.

Dick Muther

Dick Muther has come full circle. In just two years, he’s gone from nominator to nominee when it comes to NEPSAC’s two prized athletic awards it hands out every year. In 2021, Muther nominated a former student-athlete at Tabor Academy: the late Travis Roy, for the Martin William Souders Memorial Award.

This year, Muther was the nominee for NEPSAC’s annual Distinguished Service Award. And when you consider “this award is presented to the individual who has contributed significantly to New England Independent School Athletics and Physical Education through their enthusiasm, dedication, leadership and vision,” you might wonder why this union hadn’t formed earlier on.

“The bottom line for me is that Dick is one of the most dedicated faculty members I have ever worked with,” said Kelly Walker, who worked with Muther in the Tabor athletic department from 1997 to 2016 and is the person who nominated him for the award. “I am a far better person for his guidance and support.

I know he has done this for so many colleagues throughout his career at Tabor and St. Paul’s.“ Muther’s love affair with prep schools dates back to 1981, when he broke in at the Rectory School in Pomfret, Ct., but then

ADDITIONAL LINKS Awards Ceremony video Annual Meeting Photo Gallery Annual Meeting Program Annual Meeting website Complete list of award winners

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Kelly Walker of Tabor Academy, nominated her former colleague Dick Muther for the Distinguished Service Award

departed for Tabor. He learned the ropes there, mainly serving as athletic director for 26 years. His other duties included math teacher and dorm parent as well as boys soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse coach.

“To me the opportunity to teach kids is the greatest job in the world,” said Muther. “Whether it be on the athletic field in a large setting, or in the classroom in a one-on-one situation, it makes no difference to me … I just love the opportunity to work at a prep school.”

“As for winning the Distinguished Service Award, I feel both honored and humbled,” said Muther. “I know a lot of people who have won this award and I feel proud to be included in that wonderful group.”

Throughout Muther’s career, he has been heavily involved in the NEPSAC coaching organizations. That includes being one of the founders and the inaugural president of the NEPSAC Boys Soccer Coaches Association and more recently as a member of the NEPSAC Athletic Directors Executive Board, where he served as President from 2011 to 2013.

“One of the things that I admire about Dick is his willingness to always go the extra mile for our students,” said Walker. “It didn’t matter what the area of school life it was, Dick was always willing to lend a hand. If there was set up that need to happen so that a fun event or an activity could take place, he was always there. If we needed hands-on cleanup at the end of a season, Dick would be the one to take on Saturday morning work detail and bring the kids to help move goals, pick up trash, clean spaces … you name it.”

Muther, who is a graduate of Colby College and Harvard University where he earned his Masters in Education degree, returned to the classroom to teach mathematics this fall. During his afternoons, he finds coaching to be an excellent extension of the classroom, “because,” said Muther, “whether it be on the ice, field or diamond, the skills that can be developed and the lessons that can be learned through commitment, effort, grit and teamwork are all critical parts of a student’s experience.”

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 17

NEW HAMPTON SCHOOL | NEW HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Sideline Superstar

by Tracey Sirles

IT’S A PIECE OF HUSKY HISTORY AND A PIECE OF FAMILY HISTORY—THE HUSKY TAILGATING TRAILER HAS RETURNED TO NEW HAMPTON SCHOOL.

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Teddy ’16 and Wendy Beaudet P’16, ’19, ’21 on the day of the trailer’s donation

A

small plaque on the door shares the names of the Beaudet Family and their years of ownership from 2012 to 2022. Following the enrollment of their eldest son, Teddy ’16, Rob and Wendy found the 1961 Ace Traveler camper on Craigslist, and it quickly became an iconic part of the tailgating scene. Wendy shares, “We brought the Husky Trailer to Teddy’s first football game at New Hampton on September 22, 2012. It was a 33-6 victory over Vermont Academy behind quarterback Ryder Arsenault [’13] and running back Matt Dean [’14]. Our memories of that tailgate include Jim Tully grilling steak tips for the team down at the hillside entrance to the field house.”

The graphics and decorations were all completed with the support of their family over the years. “Using the Husky logo as our inspiration, we designed the exterior graphics to show our support for New Hampton School. All the exterior graphics were hand painted by David and John Fuller.” Teddy would be followed by siblings Johnny ’19 and Ellie ’21—offering many seasons of Husky gatherings for football, basketball, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, and softball.

Last year, a special message arrived to Alison Kirk ’90, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. “The family told me they wanted to donate the trailer to the school. I was overwhelmed by their generosity in carrying on the tradition. When kids see the Husky trailer, it’s a gathering spot. It’s the place to be,” Alison shared. “There was also a great opportunity for students to help renovate it. We got to work right away talking about upgrading the interior during Project Week. The goal was to make storing food and serving Huskies easier.”

With a week’s work, the little trailer transformed, ready for a new season of events.

Be sure to keep an eye out for it around campus!

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 19

Strength and Character

THE LIFE OF ERNEST J. MARSHALL , CLASS OF 1904, EXETER’S FIRST BLACK SPORTS CAPTAIN

by Panos Voulgaris

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PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY | EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

S

teeped in the Academy’s history is a remarkable football tradition dating to 1878. It is widely known that Exeter shares the country’s longest continuing high school foot-ball rivalry with Andover, beginning 145 years ago. It is less well known, however, that Exeter has more alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame than any other high school in the nation. Among them is Amos Alonzo Stagg, class of 1885, dubbed the “Grand Old Man of Football,” who helped establish the game over his 70-year coaching career.

Stagg also headlines an impressive list of Exonians who have served as the head football coach at one of at least 41 colleges around the U.S. Included in that roster is Ernest J. Marshall, who entered football lore when he was named the first Black captain of a Phillips Exeter sports team in 1903. Marshall, who graduated from Exeter in 1904, later made a significant impact as a coach and educator at Howard University. But his story before and after his time at Howard is equally notable. He was a passionate leader, student, athlete, outdoorsman, coach, professor and physician.

Born to humble beginnings in Baltimore, Maryland, in the postReconstruction era, Marshall left home in 1897 to spend three years at the famed Hampton Institute. A precursor to Hampton University, the institute was founded in 1868 to educate formerly enslaved people. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture notes that it trained an “army of Black educators,” including Booker T. Washington.

At Hampton, Marshall was mentored by the Institute’s president, Hollis B. Frissell, an Andover graduate. After graduating from Hampton in 1900, Marshall trekked to Boston where he worked for a year to raise funds for his education. In a December 1900 letter to Frissell, Marshall expressed having experienced racial challenges in the north while also laying out his goals: “During the few months I have been here I see [the] value [of your warnings] a great deal more than ever before. This I think is due to experience. … As I have told you before …

Next year, I expect to go in some school and after I finish, I shall then go in the South to do the best I can.”

Marshall arrived at Exeter with minimal resources as a 10th grader in 1901 to prepare for college. In Marshall’s time, Black students encountered a difficult social experience at the Academy. For instance, one of Marshall’s housemates, the Black poet Charles Frederick White, a member of the class of 1907 for a short time, later wrote that despite being “exceptionally well and brotherly treated by the faculty [and] other non-Negro-hating boys,” he was met with “southern prejudice,” by a particular group of threatening students, which cued his departure prior to graduation.

Indeed, during the 1902 spring track season, Marshall and another Black member of the team were not welcome to eat at the training table with their white teammates, provoking them to withdraw from the team. The Boston Globe reported that while many in town supported the protest, “In student circles … feeling against them [was] very bitter, and in the march of the school from the campus after the [track] meet, they were treated with contumely.”

The Globe contended that Marshall’s treatment was “in direct variance with the Exeter spirit,” given that in previous years Black athletes had typically eaten at team training tables.

Others who lived with Marshall in the segregated J.W. Field’s House succeeded at Exeter, leading to impressive careers.

Marshall’s housemates included two members of the class of 1904: his lifelong friend Eugene Clark of Washington, D.C., a preeminent educator in Black schools, and Newlyn Cashin, a distinguished physician in his native Alabama. In addition, Fenwick Watkins, class of 1905, from Burlington, Vermont, who starred in football, basketball and baseball at the University

“THE ACADEMY ELEVEN” The 1903 varsity team photo and roster.

Ernest J. Marshall ’04 holds the ExeterAndover game ball.

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 21

That Marshall captained this distinguished group was an inspirational undertaking given the racial climate of segregation in America at the time.

of Vermont, had a successful career in coaching and real estate in North Dakota; and Benjamin Seldon, class of 1907, from New Jersey, was an early promoter of PanAfricanism and a regular collab-orator with W.E.B. Du Bois. Seldon conveyed lifelong gratitude to the Academy for helping him become a trailblazing educator.

Marshall persevered during his time at Exeter. A strong student, he became one of the top athletes in the school and served on the PEA Athletic Association, the student voice for athletics at the time.

In competition, Marshall rejoined the track team and found renown on campus for his exploits, becoming the school recordholder in both the shot put and discus in 1903. Further, Marshall was a standout on the football team, earning a spot on the “Academy Eleven” for all three of his years at Exeter, the only player to do so during his time.

During the spring of 1903, the team met to determine its captain and Marshall emerged as the top choice. Marshall’s selection was monumental for the Academy as well as the American sports scene of the time because Black players were a rarity on major athletic teams.

Though Black players began playing on the Exeter football team as early as 1893, none had ascended to the role of captain before Marshall, moving news agencies around the country to pick up the story.

“Colored Man Elected Head of Exeter Football Eleven — He is Popular Here,” The Boston Globe reported on June 6, 1903. The following day The New York Times wrote, “Ernest J. Marshall, ’04, of Baltimore … is the only colored boy to be

22 | NEPSAC News | Winter 2024

honored with a captaincy of an athletic team at Exeter,” and The Trenton Evening Times declared, “Negro Boy Captains Exeter.”

The headline of Marshall’s hometown Baltimore American read: “Colored Lad Captain of Football Team: Ernest J. Marshall, of This City, to Head the Crack Eleven of Phillips-Exeter.” The article continued: “He has been one of the most popular students at the school and stands high in his studies, as well as in athletics. Although personally well liked, there was dissatisfaction when his name was first suggested [for] the captaincy of the school football team, but this appears to have died away and his election was unanimous.” The Cleveland Gazette added, “He was the only logical candidate for the captaincy.”

In 1903, the Academy hired noted coach Eddie N. Robinson, who had previously been the head coach at the University of Nebraska (1896-97) before a legendary run at Brown University (18981901, 1904-07, 1910-25), where he coached the school’s first Black player, Hall of Famer Fritz Pollard, in 1915 and 1916. At Exeter, Robinson took over a program that had struggled to a 2-4-3 record in the previous season, including a demoralizing 29-17 loss to Andover.

Roughly 60 players returned to campus vying for a spot on the Academy Eleven. The roster featured a “who’s who” of football greats including future college All-Americans, Ivy League team captains, prominent head football coaches and three members of the College Football

Hall of Fame. That Marshall captained this distinguished group was an inspirational undertaking given the racial climate of segregation in America at the time.

The 1903 schedule featured daunting competition against college varsity teams including the University of New Hampshire, Tufts, Bates and Bowdoin. Exeter had, in fact, defeated the Boston College varsity during Marshall’s lower and upper years.

Coach Robinson and captain Marshall guided the Academy to an 8-0-2 record, including eight shutouts, while outscoring opponents, 134-16.

Prior to the Andover game, Robinson commented in The Exonian, “Marshall, captain and left tackle … is a hard worker, and sets the team a good example in this respect.” The Boston Journal reported: “Up in the Granite State Exeter will meet its greatest rival, Andover. … Andover will undoubtedly be the favorite … No matter what … Capt. Ernest Marshall, the colored leader at Exeter, will be surrounded with a team up to the standard.”

In a 14-11 triumph, Marshall ushered his team to victory by opening holes on offense and making a timely fumble recovery to secure the game and undefeated season. The Exonian headline read: “A GREAT VICTORY FOR CAPTAIN MARSHALL AND HIS MEN.” In short, despite the racial challenges, Marshall’s captaincy proved to be exceptionally successful. His 1903 unit was the greatest Exeter football team to that point and remains one of the best in Academy history.

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Less than a month after that win over Andover, Marshall announced his college plans. The opening page of the December 1, 1903, Boston Journal sports section reported, “Ernest J. Marshall, the colored lad who successfully brought the Exeter team to victory in the annual game with Andover, intends [on] entering Williams College next year.”

Upon arriving in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Marshall excelled in the classroom and for the football and track teams.

He and his Exeter classmate Eugene Clark were among only four Black students on campus. Marshall set a new standard for the track team by smashing the school record in the shot put in 1906, while earning six letters in football and track. Alumni

GO BIG RED! A vintage poster depicting Exeter’s football triumph over Andover in 1903.

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notes remembered Marshall as “a star athlete at Williams who rated the highest honors” in his studies.

Marshall left Williams after three years to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan. Afterwards, he spent the summer of 1908 preparing for Yale Graduate School but was unable to afford the move and began graduate school at Michigan. Writing to the Hampton Alumni Office, he said: “I did not have a very successful summer [earning wages] so I came back to Michigan because it is cheaper.”

Marshall’s student experience spawned his desire to remain in education: “I finally decided to devote my time to the study of foods, both from the chemical and bacteriological sides. ... [There’s] a good chance to get a position at some school to teach this branch of chemistry.

If necessary, I shall be perfectly willing to teach the foundation subjects such as Elementary Chemistry, Hygiene, and Biology.”

In fact, shortly into his graduate school stint in Ann Arbor, Marshall accepted a post at Howard University in Washington, D.C. At Howard, from 190921, he held numerous roles, including assistant professor in chemistry, instructor in English, director of athletics and head football coach.

In eight seasons as head football coach, Marshall accumulated an impressive record of 31-4-4, including four straight seasons (1909-12) in which his team was undefeated and unscored upon.

One student at Howard remarked, “Coach Marshall knows the game of football from the ground up.”

Indeed, Marshall’s leadership profoundly changed the nature of Howard’s athletic program. In December 1911 the Howard University Journal noted, “From the very time that Coach Marshall came here, athletics took on a new life in our University, and a new spirit was shown by the student body.”

Marshall affirmed, “As long as I am here the [Howard] colors will never trail in the dust.” But his team did not have the opportunity to play against the nation’s top white teams, at which several of his Exeter brethren were playing or coaching.

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The Howard faithful voiced strong opinions in the Journal: “There is no doubt, but that Howard has one of the best allaround elevens in the country. All of this is due to Coach Marshall’s untiring and conscientious work with his men … From the beginning he thrust himself, full of vigor [and] spirit, into his work, and has brought athletics to the high point it has never before reached.” One player said, “In Coach Marshall we have one of the best coaches in the country, a man whose judgment of men cannot be doubted.”

Always a passionate advocate for his players, Marshall pushed the university

administration to raise money for a new athletic facility, and the community rallied behind him. In December 1913, the Journal wrote, “Coach Marshall has done excellent work for Howard, as everyone testifies; coming to us in 1909 when our team needed a strong guiding hand, he soon established our record in foot-ball by a string of unbroken victories.”

In his final season as coach in 1916, the Journal reflected on Marshall’s effect on the program: “The greatest asset to the football squad is Coach Marshall. He has certainly done his share in developing a strong and powerful Howard machine

CAPTAINS OF ACADEMY TEAMS. Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922); Sep 23, 1903; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg. 9

… That he has succeeded can easily be attested by the large gate receipts … The men hold him in the greatest esteem, and never refuse to obey his orders or heed his calls.”

Marshall remains the greatest coach in Howard’s history. After stepping down as football coach in 1916, he remained at Howard as a chemistry professor through the 1920-21 academic year. In 1916, one student reflected, “The fact that much of his time must of necessity be spent in the classroom has not in the least caused him to lose a single morning’s practice, or to show any sign of indifference to his pedagogic work,” and asserted that the professor and coach “is doing the work of three men.” The spirit of Marshall’s Exeter education — faithfully adhering to his non sibi principles — is evident in these statements from his students at Howard.

Marshall’s influence extended to other historically Black colleges and universities. He co-founded the Colored Interscholastic Athletic Association, now

Marshall was a pioneer for HBCU football, spearheading the growth of Black athletic programs across the midAtlantic and Southeast.

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Exonians in the College Football Hall of Fame NAME

EXETER GRAD YEAR

COLLEGE

YEAR INDUCTED

Amos Alonzo Stagg

1885

Yale/Springfield/Chicago/Pacific

1951

●●

Lee McClung

1888

Yale

1963

●

Marshall Newell

1890

Harvard

1957

●

James Hogan

1901

Yale

1954

●

Jim McCormick

1904

Princeton

1954

●

Howard Jones

1905

Syracuse/Yale/Ohio State/Iowa/ Duke/Southern California

1951

●

T.A.D. Jones

1905

Syracuse/Yale

1958

●

Ed Hart

1907

Princeton

1954

●

Eddie Casey

1915

Harvard

1968

●

Donold Lourie

1918

Princeton

1974

●

● Inducted as a coach

known as the Central Interscholastic Athletic Association, an NCAA conference member. Marshall was a pioneer for HBCU football, spearheading the growth of Black athletic programs across the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. The trophy given to the winner of the football game between Howard and Morehouse College was co-named for Marshall, and the CIAA inducted Marshall into its Hall of Fame in 1985.

The pursuit of his life’s passion to be a physician prompted his move to graduate school at the University of Chicago. He took the requisite courses during the 1921-22 academic year to prepare for admission to Northwestern Medical School, where he completed his degree in 1927.

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Marshall overcame significant adversity to become one of Northwestern’s early Black medical school graduates. To pay tuition, he took a job at the Chicago Post Office. The school’s registrar, C.W. Patterson, wrote a letter of concern to the postmaster regarding Marshall’s shift hours stating, “It appears that [Marshall] has been depending on earning a part of his expenses by outside employment … [occupying] his time from 11 o’clock in the evening to 7:30 in the morning. I have told him that it was out of the question to carry the medical course, giving so much time to outside employment.”

The postmaster, however, was unyielding and did not shift Marshall’s hours.

● Inducted as a player

Patterson felt strongly that Marshall should receive the opportunity to continue his studies with a more convenient work schedule: “Mr. Marshall is a high-class colored man, a graduate of the University of Michigan and a graduate student of the University of Chicago. He has made a good beginning with us.” Northwestern eventually hired Marshall as a night guard and as a laborer for campus renovation projects so he could remain a full-time student. He also worked four hours a day at Chicago’s Wesley Memorial Hospital to receive room and board there.

Marshall continued searching for creative ways to pay his tuition. With Patterson’s help, during his third year at the school, he forged a relationship with Julius

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 25

“We will remember Ernest as a great athlete and a fine guy. His successful struggle to get an education without any financial backing revealed his strength of character.”

Ernest Marshall in a 1902 football team photo

— Eugene Clark ’04

PEA: A “Cradle of Coaches” Exonians named head coach at 41 institutions Amherst College

Grinnell College

Oregon State

Boston College

Harvard University (4)

University of the Pacific

Bowdoin College

Howard University

Princeton University

Cal-Berkeley (2)

University of Iowa

Purdue

University of Chicago

Johns Hopkins University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)

University of Colorado

University of Michigan

Saint Joseph’s

Concordia College (MN)

Michigan State

Syracuse University

Cornell University

Middlebury College

Tufts University (3)

Dartmouth College

University of Mount Union

Univ. of Southern California

University of Dayton

United States Naval Academy

Western Reserve

Duke University

University of New Hampshire

Williams College

Fargo College

University of North Carolina

University of Wisconsin

Fordham University (2)

North Carolina State

Yale University (4)

George Washington

Ohio State

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Rosenwald, the Chicago philanthropist and co-owner of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Rosenwald had supported numerous African American causes, notably, Black education and the growth of Black YMCAs across the country. The registrar wrote to Rosenwald that Marshall “has carried his schoolwork very well under rather serious financial handicaps. … On account of his record I would wish to do everything possible to help him.”

At the time, Marshall was in arrears for the two previous semesters and his future at the school was in peril. Rosenwald came to his aid, covering the two semesters of debt and paying future costs, to which the registrar replied, “I am very glad indeed to learn that Mr. Marshall is to receive this assistance and I have every reason to believe that he is deserving.”

Likewise, Rosenwald’s secretary, William Graves, was happy to learn that Marshall’s studies would not be interrupted: “[He] has been under considerable pressure to support himself, and I [offer] a personal endorsement in addition to what Mr. Rosenwald is advancing.”

When Marshall completed his studies, Graves observed, “Mr. Rosenwald shares the satisfaction … that Mr. Marshall was able to complete his work satisfactorily and to finish the course with his class.”

Shortly after departing Chicago, Marshall wrote an emotional letter of appreciation to Patterson, the Northwestern registrar: “Please let me thank you for the many kind things you did for me while there. Without your help I never could have made it, and I shall ever be grateful to you.”

Marshall spent the following year completing a residency at Kansas City General Hospital in Missouri. He practiced medicine in Kansas City for the rest of his life. Keeping an office as a general practitioner for over 30 years, Marshall was also a member of the staff at Wheatley-Provident Hospital and General Hospital while being active in the Kansas City Medical Society, Missouri Pan-Medical Society and Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically African American fraternity. In addition to being a respected member of Kansas

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City society, Marshall maintained his enthusiasm for sports and the outdoors until he died in 1959. He was survived by his wife; a son, who also became a physician; and three grandchildren.

Throughout his life, Marshall understood what was important in education, not only to him, but also to students. Shortly before his death, he wrote: “If you learn only what’s in a book, then one school is about as good as another. But when a student comes in contact with [a transformational teacher] he gets something he never forgets and is even thankful for having known such men — they make the [school].”

Marshall’s career as an educator embodied this ideal. As one of his Howard students stated, “The deepest and most profound respect exists between [Coach Marshall] and his men.” This sentiment is akin to that of the Academy’s Deed of Gift, which states, “above all, it is expected that the attention of instructors to the disposition of the minds and morals of the youth under their charge will exceed every other care.”

Marshall stayed intellectually active deep into his life. He maintained a concern for world affairs with an eye toward the

future. In 1958 he wrote: “We have come through two major wars, a depression and a police action. How much has been learned — very little I fear except improving the fine art of killing. I wonder where it will end. If world leaders can’t or won’t agree, I fear the great masses of humanity will get out of control and we know what the end will be.” Marshall’s compassion and empathy, developed through his vast experiences, were evident until the very end.

When Marshall died, Eugene Clark, his lifelong friend from Exeter and Williams, wrote: “We will remember Ernest as a great athlete and a fine guy. His successful struggle to get an education without any financial backing revealed his strength of character.”

Indeed, Marshall needed immense strength of character to live an impactful and extraordinary life when racial integration was far from commonplace in America. And he was proud to credit the foundation he received during his time at the Academy.

In a 1958 letter to the Williams Alumni Office, he wrote, “I prepped at Exeter, the greatest in the world.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Panos Voulgaris is in his third year at Exeter as head football coach and instructor in physical education. Prior to joining PEA, he led three different football programs to championship seasons and taught history for 15 years. In 2022, he guided Exeter to a 7-1 season, the team’s best record in the last decade.

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 27

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HOLDERNESS SCHOOL | PLYMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Gabas Muldunas ’11: Chasing Dreams Across the Court and Around the World

PHOTO: FIBA.BASKETBALL

by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul

G

abrielius “Gabas” Maldunas ’11, is living the dream. As a young boy in Lithuania — where basketball eclipses all other sports in popularity and participation — Maldunas dreamed of playing for his country’s national team someday. It’s a dream that came true this past summer, when he donned the Lithuanian National Basketball Team uniform and took the court at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.

“In Lithuania, everybody watches the national team. When we started playing basketball, we were dreaming of playing for the national team one day,” he said. “That dream coming true was definitely crazy, and I enjoyed every second of it.”

Before Maldunas’ path led to the World Cup, however, it took him to New Hampshire, where he arrived at Holderness School as a 15-year-old sophomore in 2008. Some 4,000 miles and several international borders away from Maldunas’ hometown of Panevėžys, Lithuania, Holderness seemed a world apart. The

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teenager had never been to the United States before arriving at the start of the school year. But he had a two-pronged goal of furthering his basketball prowess and his academic achievement.

Holderness School would prove the perfect place for realizing both.

“In Lithuania, if you want to do higher education, it’s very hard to play basketball and study. If you want to do sports, you have to go to a sports academy, but it’s not connected to your school,” he said. “Everything was a lot different. In Lithuania, we didn’t have private schools like Holderness. We just had public schools, and those were basically one building, and you’d go to classes then go home. It was kind of a shock when I got here, to see all of those buildings. It was overwhelming. It was tough at first, but I got through it.”

Among the many adjustments he faced when he started at Holderness — the language barrier, the different course load, a school that comprised not a single building but an entire

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 29

with basketball, he set targets for campus — playing a different sport AMONG THE MANY ADJUSTMENTS academic achievement. each season was among the most HE FACED WHEN HE STARTED AT “My first year in the United States, surprising. But ultimately, Maldunas I made a goal to myself that I would go said, shifting his athletic focus beyond HOLDERNESS — THE LANGUAGE to the Ivy League” he said. “Education basketball helped him to become a was very important to me. I realized better all-around player.

BARRIER, THE DIFFERENT that the Ivy League has the best “Other sports make you see universities.

I wanted to challenge athletics in a different perspective,” COURSE LOAD, A SCHOOL THAT myself, so I made that goal. I knew he said. “It actually made me miss COMPRISED NOT A SINGLE that basketball was not the only basketball a little bit more, so then way — you also need some academics I was hungrier during basketball BUILDING BUT AN ENTIRE and some other connections, and the season. And using different muscle Ivy League is one of the best at that.” groups in different sports helps you CAMPUS — PLAYING A DIFFERENT He found the opportunity to as well.” realize that goal at Dartmouth Maldunas played soccer all three SPORT EACH SEASON WAS AMONG College, where he studied economics years at Holderness, and opted for THE MOST SURPRISING. and excelled on the court. As he had tennis as his spring sport the first two been at Holderness, Maldunas was a years. The spring of his senior year, he captain of the Dartmouth team during switched to lacrosse, an experience his senior year. That season, the team posted the best record he said was “very interesting. I’d never played a contact sport like in recent Dartmouth basketball history, earning a spot in postthat before. But actually, it has some similarities to basketball — the season play for the first time since 1959. footwork and some of the plays.”

After graduating from Dartmouth, Maldunas pursued his Throughout his time at Holderness, Maldunas worked with professional basketball aspirations in Spain, where he played for basketball coach Tony Mure. two years. By the end of his second season, he’d been away from “He gave me a lot. I was working with him also in the summers Lithuania for nine years and was eager to get back home — even if and off seasons. He helped me not only with basketball, but with it meant he had to give up his professional basketball career. fitness and conditioning.,” Maldunas said of his coach. “He helped “The Lithuanian basketball league is pretty strong, and I me to see basketball in a different perspective — and to see that thought I didn’t really have a chance to play there,” he said. there is other stuff in life.”

Instead, he accepted a job offer from a bank, putting his Regardless of the sport season, Maldunas was also focused economics degree to work. Maldunas’ banking career, however, on his academic studies. He was particularly interested in was short-lived. math, and also studied multiple languages at Holderness. As “I worked for 4 or 5 weeks, and then a club in Lithuania called and said they wanted to see me, and they had a contract ready for me in the first division in Lithuania,” he said. “I decided I needed to take a chance, because it’s not every day that you get offers from the best league in Lithuania to play basketball.”

After two seasons, Maldunas’ hometown team, Lietkabelis Panevėžys, offered him a contract. This fall he started his fifth season with the team, not long after wrapping up Lithuanian’s top8 finish at the World Cup, where a highlight was beating Team USA in group play — only the third time Lithuania has done so, and the first since the 2004 Olympics.

Maldunas feels fortunate to still be pursuing his basketball dreams — from Holderness to Dartmouth to Spain and eventually back home in Lithuania. He was called up to the National Team in February of 2023, at the age of 29. (He is now 30 years old.)

“It’s kind of rare that a guy this age makes a debut for a national team. They usually take younger guys,” he said. “But the coaches saw that I could help the team.”

When the time comes to hang up the basketball shoes, will he return to banking? Maldunas said probably not. He’s working toward a graduate degree in sports education and thinks he may eventually pursue an off-court role in basketball.

“You never know what life is going to bring you,” he said. “I tried banking, and I think it wasn’t really for me. I’m pretty happy being in the basketball industry.”

30 | NEPSAC News | Winter 2024

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PHILLIPS ANDOVER ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS

Good as gold!

Molly Boyle ’25, Caroline Averill ’26 & Maggie Averill ’27 win gold with Team USA U-18 at the 2024 World Championship

by David Fricke, Sports Information Director, Phillips Andover Academy

T

he U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, including current Phillips Academy students Molly Boyle ’25 (Scituate, MA), Caroline Averill ’26 (Wayland, MA), and Maggie Averill ’27 (Wayland, MA) defeated Czechia, 5-1 to win the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Zug, Switzerland. Team USA finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0-0 record earning its first gold medal at the tournament since 2020. In addition to the championship win over Czechia, the team defeated Slovakia (7-1), Switzerland (8-1), Sweden (4-0), Germany (4-2), Finland (4-2).

All three of Andover’s skaters registered goals and assists in the competition, with Caroline also earning Player of the Game honors in the victory over Slovakia.

The annual tournament, which ran from January 6-14, served as an exciting extension to Andover’s winter break for Molly, Catherine, and Maggie. The competition featured eight nations split into two groups. Group A consisted of Canada, Finland, Czechia, and Germany, with Sweden, the USA, Slovakia, and

Molly Boyle ’25, Maggie Averill ’27 & Caroline Averill ’26 (L-R) pose with their gold medals and the World Championship trophy.

“WE COULDN’T BE MORE THRILLED FOR MOLLY, CAROLINE AND MAGGIE AS THEY RETURN FROM THE US U18-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH GOLD MEDALS AFTER AN UNDEFEATED RUN IN THE TOURNAMENT. THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THREE ANDOVER STUDENT-ATHLETES TO REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY AND REPRESENT THEIR SCHOOL ON A US-ROSTER IS UNPRECEDENTED IN ANDOVER ATHLETIC HISTORY. WE ARE PROUD OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANTICIPATE US HOCKEY HAS NOT SEEN THE LAST OF THIS DYNAMIC TRIO.” LISA JOEL, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

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Switzerland making up Group B. The preliminary round wrapped up on January 10. The four quarter-finals were played on January 11, followed by the semi-finals and relegation games on January 13, and the bronze and gold medal games on January 14.

The Phillips Academy trio earned a spot on the Team USA roster after a comprehensive evaluation process, the last stages of which included being named to the U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team that competed in a three-game series vs. Canada in Lake Placid, NY in August, and then being among just thirty players receiving an invitation to the 2024 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team Selection Camp from Oct. 29-31 in Minnesota. That camp served as the final evaluation camp for the 2024 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team that competed at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship. The final roster was comprised of twenty-five players, including 14 forwards, eight defenders, and three goaltenders.

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 31

Molly Boyle’25

Caroline Averill ’26

For Boyle, Andover hockey’s co-captain and a Yale University Ice Hockey commit, the fall portion of the USA Hockey selection camp meant that she had to put down her field hockey stick for a bit. On the way to helping Phillips Academy field hockey to the New England championship in November, where they finished as runners-up, she broke the school’s field hockey scoring record and earned NEPSAC First Team, NFHCA All-Massachusetts Region First Team, and Max Field Hockey’s All-New England Region 1st Team.

While en route home from the World Championship, Boyle shared how special the experience and the support she felt from the Andover community was to her, “I am so extremely grateful for the unwavering love and support from the Andover community. I would not be where I am without the coaches, mentors, and teammates at Phillips Academy and I

“TO SEE THREE ANDOVER ATHLETES REPRESENTING THEIR COUNTRY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IS SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL. WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY ALL PUT IN TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND OF THE SUCCESS THEY REALIZED WITH THEIR USA TEAMMATES IN SWITZERLAND. I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO THE GIRLS’ ANDOVER TEAMMATES AND FACULTY MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.” MARTHA FENTON ’83 HEAD COACH, GIRLS’ VARSITY ICE HOCKEY cannot thank them enough for all they do for me. I am so thankful to be able to have this opportunity to represent our country on an international stage. I was able to create new friendships that will last forever as we strived to accomplish our goal as a team, and when that moment came, it was a feeling we will never forget.

It was an incredible experience that I will forever be grateful for

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Maggie Averill ’26

and am super excited to be back with my friends and teammates, ready to continue the girls’ varsity hockey season with enthusiasm and determination.”

For Caroline and Maggie Averill, there’s a family connection to both Andover and Team USA. Older sister Anne, now playing ice hockey at Dartmouth, is Phillips Academy Class of 2023 and lettered in crew and field hockey in addition to serving as an ice hockey captain for the Big Blue. Caroline and Maggie’s mother, Alison, Class of 1995, also lettered in three sports at Andover, breaking scoring records in soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse. She was selected to skate for Team USA in 1995, playing in a series of games against Canada, went on to star in ice hockey at Princeton, and was a two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top female college ice hockey player in the United States.

Alison was inducted into Andover’s Athletics Hall of Honor in 2020.

Caroline and Maggie also took some time out during their trip back home to share some thoughts on the gold medal experience.

Caroline, “We are so thankful for all the support from our Andover teammates and coaches. The tournament was an incredible experience and to be there with my sister, Maggie, and Molly was so special. I look up to both Maggie and Molly, so it was great to have them there to lean on.”

Maggie, “It was such a memorable moment to win with such an amazing group of players and alongside my sister.”

You can follow Molly, Caroline, More… and Maggie, along with their Phillips READ Academy girls’ var“Averill Sisters Carry on Family sity hockey teamLegacy with Team USA” (USA mates on the ice Hockey) this season, as they fight to return WATCH to the New En“Averill Sisters Play for Team USA” gland Class A Prep (WBZ NEWS) championship.

Game highlights on YouTube

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Other NEPSAC players and coaches on the U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team Ellie Dimatos ’25, Lawrenceville School

Head coach Liz Keady Norton ’03, Milton Academy

Morgan McGathey ’25, Thayer Academy

Video coach Melissa Piacentini ’12, Thayer Academy

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 33

BROOKS SCHOOL | NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS

A Career in Squash

Aly Abou Eleinen ’18 rose from Brooks to Penn to the professional squash world, and he’s loved every minute of it

A

ly Abou Eleinen ’18 has turned heads as a squash player since he was 10 years old, when he started traveling the world competing in squash tournaments. Now, following epic careers at Brooks and the University of Pennsylvania, Eleinen has started to make waves on the professional squash circuit.

Eleinen comes from a squash dynasty: His grandfather was a well-known squash player who served as vice president of the Egyptian Squash Federation. And, Eleinen’s brother, Seif Abou Eleinen ’14, preceded Aly Abou Eleinen at Brooks as a squash superstar before heading off to command the court at Harvard University.

“I grew up with a family that was really passionate about squash,” Eleinen says. “I grew up watching my brother’s practices and matches and how he prepares, and also my grandpa’s connection with the game, so it was only natural for me to fall in love with it too. It’s safe to say it was in my DNA.”

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Eleinen had every opportunity to be drawn to squash, and he says he appreciates the game in and of itself, also. “It’s an individual sport,” he says. “You obviously have a coaching team and you work with your coaches. But at the end of the day, it’s just you. I love being on the court. It is just incredibly satisfying for me to move around the court and make split-second decisions and execute shots with precision. It’s a physical and a mental challenge, and it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Eleinen chose Brooks, in large part, because his brother also attended the school. “Seif’s always a big inspiration to me,” he says. “When he matriculated at Brooks as a fourth-former, I was only 11 years old, and I was just already in love with the idea of attending Brooks. My parents and I would visit him occasionally, and every time we did, I was more and more impressed with the campus, and I was really drawn to the close-knit community that Brooks had. And just the fact that students lived together on

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campus and formed strong bonds, that just really spoke to me. And when I visited my brother, you could just tell right away that the friendships he made were going to be life-long. I was really eager to be a part of that.”

MR. BURBANK IS MORE THAN

MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

HE IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST

JUST A SQUASH COACH … TO THIS DAY HE STILL GIVES ME ADVICE, AND TO THIS DAY

challenging, and I was able to balance my time between joining teams, figuring out a social life away from home, and also working on my squash and playing at the highest level.”

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Eleinen found more than just success Eleinen says that when he began at SUPPORTERS, AND IT WAS on the court at Brooks. He also found, Penn, he applied the same formula he says, individual people and groups he had at Brooks: He worked on his REALLY SPECIAL TO HAVE HIM that would carry him through his high squash, tried to make friends and school years and beyond. He points, have a social life, and really focused NOT JUST AS A SQUASH COACH, for example, to squash coach and on his academics. “It felt like I had faculty emeritus Doug Burbank. “Mr. already been doing that,” he says.

BUT ALSO ALMOST A FAMILY Burbank is more than just a squash “Obviously it was on a higher and more MEMBER AWAY FROM HOME coach,” Eleinen says. “To this day he challenging level, but it was also very, still gives me advice, and to this day very rewarding.” he is one of my biggest supporters, Eleinen’s hard work paid off: He and it was really special to have him not just as a squash coach, notes that as a senior captain at Penn he led the Quakers to an but also almost a family member away from home.”

Ivy League championship for the first time in 40 years. He also Eleinen says that Burbank helped him not only with his squash, racked up a laundry list of individual honors: In three full seasons but also with his personal growth and development. “He pushed (excluding a fourth season that was cut short due to the COVID-19 me to be my best and was always there to offer guidance and pandemic), Eleinen was named the Penn Athletics Freshman support,” Eleinen says. “Mr. Burbank’s influence really extends Athlete of the Year; was named the squash program’s rookie of beyond just the court and the classroom. He was just a perfect the year; was named the program’s most valuable player twice; mentor for me.” and was named to the All-Ivy and first-team All-America teams Eleinen credits the lessons he learned inside and outside three times. of the classroom at Brooks with preparing him to take on the He captained the team to the national championship finals academic and athletic expectations of scholar-athlete life at Penn. as a senior, before Penn ultimately fell to Harvard University.

“The leap from a small boarding school in North Andover to a Individually Eleinen appeared in the final of the individual national large Ivy League university was definitely a big one,” Eleinen says. championship, the first appearance for Penn since the mid-1980s.

“But looking back, I was well-prepared. Brooks was academically Now, Eleinen plays on the professional squash circuit, something he calls “a lifelong dream.”

“I felt that I was at the level to play professionally, and not a lot of people get to do what they love every day,” he says. “I just was not ready to give up the sport yet.

I felt like I still have so much to learn and a lot of potential, and I’m glad that I made that decision.”

Eleinen calls his professional stint “an incredible journey so far. I’m just so grateful to be living a dream every day and playing the sport I love.” Eleinen won his first two professional tournaments, which he says feels surreal and validating of all the hard work he’s put in.

“Each new tournament provides me with opportunities to grow, both as a player and as a person,” he says. “I’m constantly learning and pushing myself to reach new heights.”

Reprinted courtesy of Brooks School.

Photos courtesy Aly Abou Eleinen

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NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 35

BAY STATE GAMES SUMMER GAMES Each year the Summer Games features 7,000 athletes competing in 30 sports.

Athletes of all ages and abilities represent over 300 Massachusetts communities each year. Registration opens in March 2024.

WHAT IS BAY STATE GAMES? Bay State Games is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host Massachusetts’ own Olympic-style amateur athletic competition.

WINTER GAMES Athletes competing in Figure Skating, Curling, and Masters Ice Hockey will represent hundreds of communitities from Massachusetts as well as Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.

FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP The Future Leaders Scholarship aims to identify young men and women who will be tomorrow’s leaders. Six scholarships awarded annually.

HIGH SCHOOL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM High school ambassadors promote within their schools to gain leadership and marketing experience.

NON-SPORT PROGRAMMING In addition to sports programming, Bay State Games provides health, enrichment, and educational programs to benefit the lives of our thousands of participants annually.

COACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Bay State Summer Games High School Showcases consist of eight sports, where the state of Massachusetts is divided into six regions. Each regional team is led by a volunteer coaching staff.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Each year, Bay State Games relies on hundreds of general volunteers to help operate the Summer Games.

www.baystategames.org @baystategames

36 | NEPSAC News | Winter 2024

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GREENWICH ACADEMY | GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT

Lily Lyons Competes at Foot Locker Cross Country National Meet

G

reenwich Academy’s Lily Lyons burst on to the cross country course this fall, taking the FAA and NEPSAC by storm. Winning all but one race, Lily had an incredible season, especially considering it was her first ever as a footracer.

Last year, as a 9th grader, Lily was a member of GA’s varsity swim and lacrosse teams. Ironically, part of the allure of goalkeeping was in how relatively stationary it was. Not that she was any slouch on her feet; Lily showed impressive endurance in the pool and excelled in every fitness test on the field, with her teambest timed mile an indicator of what was to come. Heading into the 2023 season, Lily realized that juggling swimming and lacrosse was going to be a challenge, and while evaluating her options, she heard great things about the cross country team’s culture. This, along with her family’s encouragement, helped her make the decision to try cross country.

Although she probably had the genes for it– Lily’s mom, Kate O’Hern Lyons, was a runner at Penn who’s name is still on their top-ten board– Lily’s running experience outside of lacrosse had been limited to Turkey Trots and Jingle Bell Runs. However, Jane Finch, GA’s cross country coach, knew that Lily was something special from the first day of pre-season. She shared that Lily is “a gifted and talented runner, who gave her best effort in every practice no matter the workout — a true delight to coach.” And Jane was not altogether surprised at Lily’s success. “Besides her

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innate ability, Lily works hard — no matter the practice. She listens to and trusts the process,” Jane remarked in a recent interview.

What really showed Lily’s potential was the first time the team ran mile repeats — “Lily was steady, hitting her mark each time even with the encouragement to go faster, which she did! She is steady and, more remarkable, she never looks like she is suffering!” said coach Finch.

In her first race, the 2-mile Wilton Invitational, Lily did not know quite what to expect. She went out fast. Watching her start, Coach Finch recalls thinking, “Wait, whoa — she can’t hold that! There is no way she can hold that.” This quickly turned into, “Okay, I guess she can hold that!” Lily finished the race at Wilton in second place. there would be no more runner-up finishes for her the rest of the GA season. Her approach worked; from that race forward, she had a plan. “I had to go out fast because the other runners have a stronger kick than me, so if I can establish a lead and hang onto it, I can win,” was how she put it. And that she did! Lily finished first in every FAA race she entered — by a long shot! She set the course record at Sherwood Island, 18:30, did the same at the Canterbury Invitational and then got event faster at Waveny Park with a time of 18:11, setting another course record on her way to becoming the FAA Individual Champion!

Earlier in the season, a dual meet hosted by Loomis Chaffee gave Lily a chance to compete at the NEPSTA Championship site. A particularly challenging course

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 37

NEPSAC ATHLETES AT THE NATIONAL MEET Tam Gavenas ’25, Phillips Andover Academy, 3rd Alex Fisher ’26, Loomis Chaffee School, 34th Lily Lyons ’26, Greenwich Academy; 37th Full results

known for the “Loomis Effect” (GA runners just seem to move slower in Windsor, CT), this race was the only one Lily didn’t improve her overall time, but still managed to cross the line first, and gained valuable experience.

A few weeks later at NEPSTAs, Lily, shot out of a cannon, took the lead and never looked back. She did her homework; she knew there were some other runners with stronger kicks than hers, and that her best chance at winning was to follow the same strategy that had gotten her two course records: get out fast, and stay ahead. When the dust settled, Lily had set another course record, 18:15, while claiming GA’s first-ever first place finish at the New England Championship.

The Regional Footlocker Invitational was open to all athletes and thus Lily entered the meet to take her chances. Racing at Franklin Park in Franklin, Massachusetts, she was hoping for a top 30 finish. Just as it had happened at Wilton months before, Lily sensed that she could do something special when her “competitive self kicked in.” Finding herself in a very talented field, she worked her way through the pack (a new endeavor) and soon she was in 12th, then 11th, then 10th place — okay, now we’re talking about qualifying for Nationals — and placed 9th with a time of 18:01 — her fastest finish of the season! San Diego here we come!

The National Footlocker Championship is held at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA every year with 10 runners from each of the 4 regions competing. Athletes with shoe deals and experience dating back to 6th grade made up the field, making this the most competitive race that Lily had entered. Admittedly, she maybe had too much fun enjoying the experience before the starting gun — taking full advantage of meeting professional athletes, eating amazing meals, and meeting other runners from all over the States. And while she did not have the race she was hoping for, the opportunity and finish have only served to create more motivation to get back to San Diego next year! Go Lily, go!

The Northeast Regional team at the national meet. Lily is sporting number 18.

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THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY | BYFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Will Moriarty ’22, From Field to Film

by Kristen Walsh

A

s early as elementary school, Will Moriarty ’22 focused on three things: playing sports, watching sports, and creating sports content. So much so that in third grade, he watched YouTube videos to learn Photoshop editing software to add filters to images of his favorite athletes. Today, in part because of Govs, Moriarty says, those two passions are informing his career goal to become a content creator for a professional sports team.

“I grew up playing sports; my dad played college football at Northeastern University, and I played baseball, football, and basketball,” Moriarty says. “So I came to Govs with one focus: to be an athlete. But I’m grateful that Govs is good at counteracting that kind of single-mindedness. It helped me pursue my other interests and even uncover new ones.”

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A big turning point for Moriarty came during freshman year when an Introduction to Fine Arts course, which includes rotations in music, technical theater, video and film, photography, ceramics, drama, and studio art, reminded him of his passion for video.

Around that same time, he says he experienced “some tough injuries that took me out of contact sports forever.” Though he would still be able to play varsity baseball, he was sidelined from football and basketball. But Moriarty felt prepared with a Plan B. “When the injuries came around, I said, ‘If I can’t be on the field competing, running routes, or shooting baskets, why not just find a way to still be involved in the game?’ I always had a passion for creating content, so I decided to focus on showcasing other athletes.”

NEPSAC News | Winter 2024 | 39

INSTEAD OF FLASHY, SHORT

my job goes beyond holding a camera and filming,” Moriarty says. “It’s also HIGHLIGHT REELS FOR SOCIAL about interacting with my managers, coworkers, and the athletes. Govs MEDIA, MY GOAL IS TO TELL does such a good job preparing you to be a person who knows how to talk to A STORY THAT WILL PROMPT people and problem-solve with them.”

Some of that, he says, came EMOTION FROM VIEWERS AND from learning in a discussion-based SERVE AS INSPIRATION. classroom. Other times, it was Behind the Story stopping to say hello to a faculty As Moriarty continued his endeavor, member between classes or giving he became intrigued by content campus tours to prospective students. As an athlete, it was strategy. Much like a sports playbook, he learned about the baseball coach and former Director of Admission Mike Kinnealey importance of behind-the-scenes work. (now assistant head of school) who Moriarty says “taught me how “David Oxton taught me so much about camera skills,” Moriarty to interact with humans properly.” says of the Photography I and AP Photography courses he took But it was a chance to try his hand at podcast production with Oxton. “He taught me everything I needed to know about the during his senior spring term independent project, where Moriarty inside basics of a camera and how to operate it, but also about says he really got to test out his skills. “My best friend Brendan composition, lighting, and what people actually want to see.”

Wolf ’22 and I wanted to make a sports podcast, and Govs helped Those kinds of technical skills now inform Moriarty now us kickstart our project in the podcast studio in the Wilkie Center that he has moved on to University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWfor the Performing Arts. They also connected us to an alumnus, Madison), where he is majoring in communication arts and Derek Falvey ‘01, who is president of baseball operations for the journalism and works as a student athletic content creator for the Minnesota Twins. It brought me out of my comfort zone and taught Division I Athletics Department and film producer and director me another form of media.” for Badger Film Group. But Moriarty emphasizes that successful Since starting video and photo editing in third grade, Moriarty content creation doesn’t just happen behind the camera with says his content strategy has shifted. “Instead of flashy, short technical aspects. highlight reels for social media, my goal is to tell a story that will “One of the biggest things that Govs taught me is how to prompt emotion from viewers and serve as inspiration.” communicate, and that is critical in my work because so much of He’s currently co-producing a pre-season documentary for the UW-Wisconsin men’s basketball team. “The series will consist of multiple short form vignettes that capture a cinematic sneak peek of what is to come for Badger basketball,” Moriarty says of the project.

When he reflects on the many people who inspired him, he makes sure to talk about his brother, Luke ’19, who gave Moriarty his first introduction to Govs and now connects him to the world of professional sports. “Luke has been one of the biggest inspirations to me. Growing up, we would always consume sports content together. He’s a big sports statistics guy — and now works as a corporate partnerships intern for the Los Angeles Lakers — and he’s done a good job pushing me to stick with it.”

A particularly special moment happened when his brother connected him to Govs alumnus Danny Healey ’17 for an internship at sports media company TorchPro. “It was so cool for the three of us to work together on sports media, knowing we all went to Govs.”

As for the future, Moriarty has his sights set on continuing to work as a content creator, ideally for a professional sports team.

His long-term goal is to produce sports documentaries like ESPN 30 for 30 series — “something that’s got a big storytelling element to it.”

Moriarty bought a video camera and got to work filming football. “The first game I ever recorded was the 2019 Todd Marble Bowl against Brunswick School.” And though the game was a heartbreaking loss for the team that year, it was a win for Moriarty’s confidence.

All photos courtesy Will Moriarty

Left to right: Luke ’19 and Will Moriarty ’22

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This article first appeared on thegovernors.org. Reprinted with permission.

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Do You Know How to Set Goals that Really Matter?

A

s a coach, you play a large role in your athletes’ lives, and helping them set realistic, meaningful goals as a team and as individuals is one of the most important parts of a successful season. While athletes should feel ownership over both individual and team goals, you can help them optimize those goals so that their wellbeing, rather than winning, is prioritized.

Here are some simple steps to help your athletes set goals that matter.

UNDERSTAND HOW ATHLETES ARE FEELING

As a coach, it’s easy to focus on goals that matter to you and your program. But before you start setting goals, think about what matters to your athletes. Take a moment to consider how they are feeling and what other pressures they may be dealing with. Pressures come at young athletes from all directions, including parents who want them to get that athletic scholarship, school administrators who are trying to improve school rankings, and teammates who want to win.

Amidst this pressure, make sure you’re initiating conversations about what the athlete wants and what matters to them.

SET GOALS THAT FOCUS ON ATHLETE WELLNESS

Athletic goals shouldn’t just revolve around national championships or state titles. While it can be fun to have some goals that are based on specific outcomes, like making it to the championships, it’s equally important to have goals that are focused on process, development, and wellness. For example, you can help them set process goals for practices, set a team goal of getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, and create goals around creating an inclusive and healthy team culture.

SET GOALS FOR THE TEAM AS A TEAM

As the coach, you likely have certain hopes for the season, and it’s tempting to show up to the first practice of the season proposing those goals for the team. But instead of presenting your list of goals, try a goal-setting exercise with athletes.

By allowing your athletes to set the goals for the team this season, you’re giving them ownership and making them more emotionally connected to the outcomes. And this approach works in the team’s favor: The Association for Applied Sports Psychology points out that when athletes set their own goals, they’re more likely to achieve them.

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HELP ATHLETES SET GOALS AS INDIVIDUALS

While team goals are important, each athlete should also feel as though they have their own set of independent goals that align with their values. These personal goals may feed into the overarching team goal, but more importantly, they should focus on what matters to the athlete and what’s within their control. Make sure individual goals are challenging but realistic, while also keeping the athlete’s wellness at the forefront. Process goals are a great way to find this balance. For example, a swimmer might set process goals around improving their kick turns or a certain stroke. With both individual and team goals, it’s also important to make time to reflect on progress and adjust goals to reflect changing circumstances.

inequities on the team. For example, some athletes may struggle to meet goals like adding in extra gym sessions because they’re busy working a part time job, so goals and expectations should account for those different circumstances.

Encourage athletes to let you know what they need in order to thrive and achieve these goals— or when they need to tweak the goals that are set.

TAKEAWAY As a coach, you have the ability to help each athlete on your team set goals for the season that establish a positive team culture and help them develop as healthy, happy people. To set goals that matter, let athletes know that you actually care about them and their personal goals, set goals for the team with the team, and focus on process goals that promote overall wellness.

REMEMBER ATHLETES WILL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS

While it’s easy to think of your team as a singular entity, remember that each athlete will have different styles of learning and different needs and abilities. Some athletes will require extra help and attention to meet process goals, while others will do better with minimal involvement from you. Be aware that some goals will highlight

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